05 May 2016

The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse, has appealed to residents of Matopi and Matsiloje to ensure that the cordon fence along Ramokgwebana River between Zimbabwe and Botswana remains in good condition.

Addressing kgotla meetings in the two villages on Tuesday, Mr Autlwetse said in November last year, a delegation from the European Union (EU) visited the zone and was impressed with all efforts that were put in place to keep Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) at bay.

He said the country was optimistic that the EU would give feedback that it will start accepting beef from the zone and this could be achieved  through the concerted efforts of both his ministry and the community that the zone remains green.

Mr Autlwetse said the community should not always wait for officials to repair the fence but should where possible close all the gaps in the fence.

He said it was upon all stakeholders to prevent any FMD outbreak because it impacted negatively in the economy of the country.

The assistant minister further told the residents that government has made a decision not to kill livestock anymore during FMD outbreak but to rather treat the affected animals.

He cited that a drug manufactured by the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) had proved to be doing well in treating FMD and countries such as Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia were using it.

Mr Autlwetse, however, encouraged the residents to ensure that their livestock did not get infected with FMD.

He said government had increased the deterrent compensation of cattle and goats found and killed in between the two cordon fences from P400 to P700 and from P25 to P200 respectively.

On other issues, Mr Autlwetse, who also visited a Livestock Management Infrastructure Development (LIMID) poultry project in Matopi, said he was impressed by the commitment of the beneficiary.

He cited that in other areas, the beneficiaries did not take care of their animals and so they lost them to diseases and wild animals while some went astray.

A LIMID chicken beneficiary, Ms Goitsemodimo Balotlhanyi said she was given 25 chickens in 2015 and lost five to Newcastle disease.

She lamented that she reported the ailing chickens to LIMID officials who never turned up until the chickens died.

Ms Balotlhanyi explained that she was given the chickens and the drugs as a package but was never shown how to use the drugs adding that she feared some of the drugs would soon expire.

Ms Kamogelo Setiko also complained about LIMID officials saying that she was given nine goats in 2014 but lost some of them due to non availability of drugs.

She said although some gave birth she already lost nine goats due to diseases such as heart water and lung disease and now she was left with 23.

In Matopi, Kgosi Tshimologo Toteng decried that the residents’ efforts to plough were frustrated by the destruction done by elephants and that some did not plough at all because their donkeys that they used as draught power were stolen by the neighbours in Zimbabwe.

Tati East MP, Mr Samson Guma called on the government to come up with ways that could permanently address the problem of elephants.

On other issues, the MP lamented that although residents of Matopi were living in abject poverty due to lack lack of income and employment, it seemed some officials were reluctant to avail government programmes to them. Ends